1) Diamond isn't much better than Gold
2) You get Gold just for having a Hilton Reserve or Amex Surpass credit card (last year MIlepoint Premium came with Gold)
3) You can get Diamond after $40k spend on those premium credit cards.

No, it doesn't just assume someone in the USA, because I argue I would save the $2k and be satisfied with Gold. You and I disagree on the value of Diamond status or rather I suggest that most people will not do as well as you do with it.

Your reply assumes someone in the USA who can get those cards. Not always the case. 2K is not a lot to get diamond given normal room rates.

I believe Diamond is much better than Gold. YMMV.

(Poasted from my milepoint enabled iPhone)

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2k is a big premium to pay for something that may or may not return much value to you, and depending on what the OP is comparing to that would cost him 2k less. If it's paying 30/night more over the course of the year...it depends on if you're getting better treatment and perks that you value at Hilton. If it's 2k in mattress runs to get from gold to diamond...it's tough to see that as worthwhile.

Yeah.. It is what I predict will cost me in mattress runs this year out of pocket should I want a taste of Hilton Diamond through a challenge if I timed it correctly. I am based in SIN and have no access to fancy cards that can bump me to Diamond via spent. On the other hand, staycations as a Diamond in Asia would likely see a big difference in the hotel treatments.

What other status do you have? How many stays/nights would you *use* the status? Would you get use out of the stays on the challenge, or pure mattress running?

I'd tend to just put the 2k toward paying for better rooms.

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Currently SPG Gold and HHonors Gold till 2016. Had mostly been staying at these two chains as well as IHG up till now. I can see your point of view too about paying for better rooms up front. Just wanted to try out what's like on the other side of the fence. I am also not sure what P3 might bring. If it brings something other than those two, I am also open to spend the 2K on the new program instead. End of the day, I read so many stuff about Diamonds having high probabilities of getting free upgrades to suites in Asia and these upgrades value could easily exceed the $2k.

Currently SPG Gold and HHonors Gold till 2016. Had mostly been staying at these two chains as well as IHG up till now. I can see your point of view too about paying for better rooms up front. Just wanted to try out what's like on the other side of the fence. I am also not sure what P3 might bring. If it brings something other than those two, I am also open to spend the 2K on the new program instead. End of the day, I read so many stuff about Diamonds having high probabilities of getting free upgrades to suites in Asia and these upgrades value could easily exceed the $2k.

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How about doing a Gold Status match with Marriott? You do not get it upfront any longer but I think it only requires 6 stays within 3 month. Marriott Gold will always give you lounge access especially in Asia. I am also HH G and last year one time (only ones) at the Conrad in Beijing did not get lounge access bc it is not a must for HH G benefit. I find Marriott a very good option in Asia. I personally would not (and could not) spend 2000 $ for HH D.

I have been HH Diamond for the past 4 years. The benefits of Diamond are not much greater than those of Gold, especially in the U.S. Some HH hotels' ideas of what constitutes an upgrade are both indiscernible and laughable. At the hotel property, your treatment, as a Diamond member, will be not be any different than any other hotel guest. I have been left sitting in the lobby waiting until 4 p.m. for a room and have suffered through housekeeping nightmares just like everyone else.

My advice, use the $2,000 to book yourself into nicer hotels or better rooms.

1) Diamond isn't much better than Gold
2) You get Gold just for having a Hilton Reserve or Amex Surpass credit card (last year MIlepoint Premium came with Gold)
3) You can get Diamond after $40k spend on those premium credit cards.

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This canard has been debunked and discredited ad nauseam. Here we go again...

Please find a HH Gold with this suite upgrade record and maybe you'll have a point, and do not tell me how my upgrades are just "few" and only in one region. There are other Diamonds in the same thread reporting good success.

There is a stash of rooms that is available only to Diamonds when a property shows no availability ("Diamond Force", anyone?). It has come in handy for me a few times to get rooms in Chicago after Thanksgiving when nothing is ever available (will provide a link to report if you wish). HH Golds have no such thing.

Importantly, HH Golds are hoping, in fact, praying, to be upgraded to the Exec Floor, so that they can have lounge access and breakfast. For HH Diamonds, there is no such anxiety because both upgrades to the exec floor and access to the exec lounge are guaranteed.

Just because it is "easy" to get a status (through CC or spend) does not make it worthless. HH Gold is the best 2nd tier status out there. Significantly, I clearly remember bloggers going on and on about how "lucrative" the now defunct Hyatt Diamond Challenge was (easy to get!!!), when it was actually the stupidest challenge to have ever been offered by any program (generally, the other major programs do not offer a challenge or status match for their highest status; when they do, they make it a real challenge. They do no award the victory trophy before the challenge as Hyatt did!!!)

One way to look at this: Since Hyatt Diamond benefits are almost as good as HH or Marriott Golds, it means that HH Diamonds perks are well above those of Hyatt Diamonds. How then could HH Diamonds benefits be about the same as those of HH Golds?

It is really getting old to keep debunking this canard. Those of us who have had both elite levels know the difference. It might be more helpful for bloggers to stick to writing about programs that they are actually qualified to write about....

BTW, does anyone feel that "brand advocacy" blogging, like claims by bloggers that Anything-Hyatt-is-the-best-in-the-business when this is demonstrably false, may be dumbing down the point/mile game?

There are many YMMV situations and scenarios but there are a few things that is (almost) indisputable.

1) Everyone has different opinions of the programs and why it has their loyalty. It could be the locations they frequent, the rates, the properties frequently used and even dumb luck of the draw. I am willing to bet no one has and can truly evaluate all the available properties of all the major chains in and out of US. Even when possible, different staff and different management does things differently. Where decisions are allowed discretion, even a same staff may do things differently on different days. This sums up dumb luck and some folks are lucky in one chain and terribly unlucky in another chain.

2) In general (not guaranteed), properties in Asia treats elites better than other regions. They also distinguish the different levels of Elites. This could be due to culture and training. I also suspect that because most Elite guests are either tourists or locals who generally earned the status through stays and not credit cards spent makes a difference in treatment accorded. Even when status are complimentary of "rare" cards, those cards are typically beyond most average citizens.

As I look harder into ny 2015 forecasts, it appears that the costs of the extra nights needed may drop further. If I do this which I will confess I am really tempted, 2015 will be mainly on getting it and then 2016 will be the year of enjoying the rewards.

I think if you stay exclusively in expensive properties in Asia, you should go for it. If you stay exclusively in the US, you should avoid.

Personally I avoid Diamond the last few years being satisfied with Gold because for me, there has been zero difference in treatment between the two levels. I get all the benefits I use and are available to me at Gold level. I never need to force a room at two days out and rarely stay in a hotel with an executive floor. For me I could buy nice things with 2k and certainly would never come close to that value.

While I have some US stays, most of my stays are in SIN or within Asia as I have 2 young ones when we do leisure trips.
One other thing that I see is good for Diamond status is the guaranteed breakfast in addition to the bigger rooms (valued as a family).
Savings for breakfasts while on family holidays and staycations is usually substantial and the added convenience of having breakfast on property (for free) is a big plus for us too.

In 2014, we have over 20 leisure nights. It will probably be the same or more come 2016

Might be worth even checking on typical treatment of specific properties, especially if you explicitly stay a lot in SIN. If the cost is $2000 - then you are paying $100/night for the nights you anticipate using the status. Make sure that you think you will get at least $100 worth of value. If you are getting and valuing suite upgrades that could be quite reasonable. If you're getting a mediocre upgrade, or paying more to stay in Hilton in the first place, this could be less so. The breakfast benefit, as written, is only for 2, so if the hotel does not extend it to the rest of your family this might not be the same savings you anticipate.

I'd check on how individual properties treat diamonds - while spending 2k now at the chance of better treatment in 2 years is a risk, it's less of one if you have an idea of the status quo at the properties of greatest interest.

Might be worth even checking on typical treatment of specific properties, especially if you explicitly stay a lot in SIN. If the cost is $2000 - then you are paying $100/night for the nights you anticipate using the status. Make sure that you think you will get at least $100 worth of value. If you are getting and valuing suite upgrades that could be quite reasonable. If you're getting a mediocre upgrade, or paying more to stay in Hilton in the first place, this could be less so. The breakfast benefit, as written, is only for 2, so if the hotel does not extend it to the rest of your family this might not be the same savings you anticipate.

I'd check on how individual properties treat diamonds - while spending 2k now at the chance of better treatment in 2 years is a risk, it's less of one if you have an idea of the status quo at the properties of greatest interest.

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I agree on doing checks on the potential properties before I go ahead.
On the topic of breakfast is only for 2, so far, hotels (HHonors, SPG, IHG and other assorted ones) I stayed at never gave issues on my two kids, currently 5 and 7, will be 7 and 9 in 2016. In a recent Japan trip, I was told that comp breakfasts cover kids below 10.

Now.... Paid buffet lunches and dinners are a whole different beast. Almost all establishments already charges my daughter (7) a child fare. I draw the line (and walk away) if they inform me that my 5 year old son also needs to be charged.

Expensive lunches and dinners is also why a good breakfast helps saves money. We usually are able to skip having a full lunch after a hearty and "late" breakfast. Some light snacks will be enough to get the family through to dinner.

Kid breakfasts is an area where I would anticipate plenty of exceptions, but wanted to be sure to point out that it may be an exception.

On the free food topic in general - I'm often torn. Yes, it fills you up and can be good quality, but oftentimes I want to have something more local anyway which can reduce the value for me. I'm also not generally much of a breakfast eater on a daily basis - while I do enjoy an occasional hearty breakfast, the direct savings is less than I would pay for a hotel breakfast in most cases (although resorts can be different in this regard)

How many people are involved and what the real cost savings or value added are in each case can vary dramatically from person to person for sure.

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